Valve operated liquid dispenser



Feb. 4, 1969 T. w. MEDLIN 3,425,603

VALVE OPERATED LIQUID DI'SPENSER Filed Aug. 14, 1967 Sheet of 4 .I I R I4' 10 2/ r %'4" 5 ark zz 7 kWh-.- \/3 Z0 z I/Z INVENTOR FIG 5THEODOREWMEDLIN BY 04 MEL/I ATTORNEY Feb. 4, 1969 T. w. MEYDLIN VALVEOPERATED LIQUID DISPENSER Filed Aug. 14, 1967 Sheet Z 012 INVENTOR THEODORE W. MEDLI N BY N kw ATTORN EY United States Patent 3,425,603 VALVEOPERATED LIQUID DISPENSER Theodore W. Medlin, 830 Mitchell, New Madrid,Mo. 63869 Filed Aug. 14, 1967, Ser. No. 660,426 U.S. Cl. 222-517 Int.Cl. B6741 3/00, /34; B65d 47/24 5 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURESummary of the invention It is an object of the present invention toprovide a liquid dispenser incorporating valve means as to permitdischarge of the dispenser contents without necessitating inversion ortilting of the dispenser.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a dispenser ofthe character stated integrally embodying valve means which are adaptedfor manual operation so that the same may be easily manipulated foreffecting liquid discharge.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a dispenser ofthe character stated having valve means which are adapted to provide apositive liquid-proof seal with the related valve seat so as to assureof accurate flow control.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a dispenserof the character stated which 'may be most economically produced; whichincorporates a minimum of components so as to be resistant to breakdown;and which is reliable and durable in usage.

Brief description of the drawings FIGURE 1 is a perspective view ofliquid dispenser constructed in accordance with and embodying thepresent invention.

FIGURE 2 is a top view of the dispenser shown in FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a vertical transverse section taken on the line 3-3 ofFIGURE 1.

FIGURE 4 is a perspective view of another form of liquid dispenserconstructed in accordance with and embodying the present invention.

FIGURE 5 is a top view of the dispenser shown in FIGURE 4.

FIGURE 6 is a vertical transverse section taken on the line 66 of FIGURE4.

Description of the preferred embodiment Referring now by referencecharacters to the drawings which illustrate preferred embodiments of thepresent invention, A generally designates a liquid dispenser ofcylindrical or fnusto-conical form, which may be fabricated of moldedplastic, desirably transparent, such as Lucite, having a side wall 1 andbeing open at its upper end as at 2. Opening 2 is eccentrically locatedby reason of one portion 3 of side wall 1 being of relatively greaterthick- 3,425,603 Patented Feb. 4, 1969 ness than the opposite portion 3'thereof. Spaced downwardly from its upper open end 2, side wall 1 iscontinuous with an inward, rounded, bottom-forming extension 4, locatedupwardly of the lower end edge of side wall 1 and cooperating with theadjacent portions of said side wall 1 thereabove to define a receptacleor bowl 5 for receiving liquid through the upper open end 2. Centrallyof extension 4 there is formed a discharge orifice 6 which, at its lowerend, opens into a chamber 7 defined by the horizontally presented underface 4' of extension 4 and the adjacent portions of side wall 1therebelow. Side wall 1 downwardly of the under face 4 is relativelyreduced in thickness to present an annular shoulder 8 against whichabuts the upper edge portion of a closure 9 fitted snugly within thelower end of dispenser A and serving to divide chamber 7 into upper andlower sections 10, 11, respectively. Formedyin the body of closure 9 isa flow-directing passage 12 of general funnel shape having a relativelywide upper mouth 13 and a lower diametrically reduced outlet 14 with theintervening wall portion tapering inwardly and downwardly. Outlet 14 isvertically aligned with orifice 6.

Presented within upper chamber section 10 is a valve 15 disposed on itsupper surface across the lower end of orifice 6 with the confrontingportions of under face 4' providing a valve seat, as indicated at 16,with said valve 15 carrying a peripheral sealing member 17, such as anO-ring, for development of a liquid-proof joint with such sea-t. Valve15 incorporates a short depending stem 18 having a transverse opening 19for extension therethrough of a spring 20 produced from a length ofsuitable rod stock. One end portion of spring 20 is formed for biasinginto a loop 21 which is disposed within upper chamber section 10 havingits upper margin bearing against the under face 4. The free endextremity of spring 20 adjacent loop 21 is embedded in closure 9, as at22. The opposite end portion of spring 20 is secured, as by welding orthe like, as at 23, to the lower end of an actuator rod 24 whichprojects slideably upwardly within a passageway 25 provided within wallportion 3 and communicating at its upper end with the lower end of anenlarged socket 26; said latter opening at its upper end through theupper surface of wall portion 3. Within said socket 26 rod 24 is fixedto the lower end of the shank 27 of an actuator head 28; said shankbeing slideable within socket 26. The upper extremity of actuator head28 is diametrally enlarged, as at 29, to provide a convenientpressure-receiving surface located normally upwardly of the uppersurface of wall portion 3 by reason of the bias of spring 20. Forlimiting the travel of actuator head 28 within socket 26 there isprovided a detent pin 30 located within socket 26 for abutment againstthe upper and lower shoulders 31, 32, respectively, of a lateral recess33 formed in shank 27.

Through bias of loop 21 spring 20 is prejudiced upwardly at itsrod-attached and thereby normally urging valve 15 into closed positionand rod 24 upwardly within passage 25 so that the upper enlarged end ofactuator head 28 will be presented above wall portion 3 (FIGURE 3). Bydownward pressing of actuator head 28, as through applying the usersthumb against the diamet-rally enlarged portion 29, actuator head 28,together with rod 24, will be caused to slide downwardly forcing theattached end of spring 20 downwardly against the inherent bias thereofso that loop 21 will be momentarily enlarged with attendant downward,opening movement of valve 15 so as to bring discharge orifice 6 intocommunication with outlet 14.

Accordingly, in usage, with valve 15 in closed condition, the user willfill bowl of dispenser A with any preselected liquid and with theknowledge as to the amount thereof because of the specific volume ofsaid bowl 5. Dispenser A may then be placed in superimposed relationshipto a container designed to receive the liquid within bowl 5 for ultimatemixing or other purposes. By manipulation, as above described, ofactuator head 28, the contents of dispenser A may be caused to flow tothe underlying container by travel through now-opened orifice 6, passage12 and outlet 14; the user maintaining actuator head in downwardlypressed position until the dispenser contents are exhausted. Thereupon,by release of the pressure upon actuator head 28, valve 15 will beautomatically returned to closed condition through bias of spring 20. Itwill thus be seen that the dispenser contents may be readily dischargedby simple operation and With the dispenser at all times being invertical position, thus obviating the heretofore need for inverting ortilting measuring dispensers for release of the contents.

Referring now to FIGURES 4, 5 and 6, B generally designates a liquiddispenser fabricated, if desired, of molded plastic and comprising aside wall 41 which may be, optionally, of general cylindrical form or ofdown wardly tapered contour. At its upper end, dispenser B is open, asat 42, to form the enlarged mouth of a receptacle or bowl 4-3, thebottom wall 44 of which is defined by a rounded generally transverseportion continuous with the inner face of side wall 41 and presentedspacedly upwardly from the lower end thereof. Provided eccentricallyWithin bottom Wall 44 is the upper end of an outlet passage 45progressing downwardly along a path parallel to the vertical axis ofdispenser B. The lower end of passage 45 is terminated by an inclinedsurface 46 for directing liquid through an orifice 47 provided in theinner side portion of the wall of passage 45; the axis of orifice 47being normal to that of passage 45. Orifice '47 opens into the inner endof a recess 48 and at its outer end opens through side wall 41, as at49. Immediately proximate orifice 47, recess 48 communicates with adownwardly extending passage 54), through the upper end thereof; thelower end of said passage 50 constituting a discharge port 51.

Provided for close fitting disposition within the outer portion ofrecess 48 is an annular closure plug 52 having on its inner surface anannular recess 53 and a central socket 54. Slideably received withinsaid socket 54 is the reduced end 55 of a valve stem 56 which ispresented transversely of dispenser B extending through recess 48,across passage 45 and through an opening generally indicated 57 formedin the opposed portion of side wall 41; said stem 56 being of suchlength so as to have an end portion 58 extending laterally outwardly ofthe proximate portion of side wall 41. Integral with valve stem 56 is adiametrally enlarged valve head 59 being located immediately inwardly oforifice 47 and of greater relative transverse extent so as to serve toocclude same. Thus, the proximate wall portion of orifice 47 serves as avalve seat for valve head 59 which latter may be provided with aperipheral sealing member 6% for assuring of a positive reliableliquid-proof joint. Urging valve head 59 into orifice-closed conditionis a compression spring 61 which at one end bears against the face ofhead 59 opposite that confronting orifice 47, while the other end ofsaid spring 61 is received within annular recess 53 of plug 52. In orderto prevent any unauthorized escape of liquid through opening 57 byleakage about valve stem 56, the said opening may communicate with anenlarge continuous recess 62 within the inner end of which may bepresented a seal 63 with a molded insert '64 disposed thereagainst.

Through bias of spring 61 valve head 59 is maintained in normally closedcondition whereby the user may fill bowl 43 and passage with thepreselected liquid. Dispenser B as so supplied may then be located insuperimposed relationship to a container designed to receive thedispenser contents. Thereupon the operator need but apply inwardlydirected pressure against the exposed end 58 of valve steam 46 so as todirect same toward side wall 41 thereby causing valve head 59 to bemoved away from its seat while placing spring 61 under tension. Withorifice 47 thus opened, liquid will flow from passage 45 through saidorifice 47 and thence through passage and outwardly of discharge port 51for reception within the container. After liquid discharge, the userneed merely remove pressure from valve stem 5d whereupon under influenceof spring 61 valve head 59 wlll be effectively and reliably returned toorifice closed condition.

It should be understood that changes and modifications in the formation,construction, arrangement and combination of the several parts of thevalve operated liquid dispenser may be made and substituted for theseherein shown and described without departing from the nature andprinciple of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to obtain byLetter Patent is:

1. A liquid dispenser comprising a body having a sidewall, said bodyhaving a receptacle portion opening through the upper end thereof, therebeing an outlet in the lower end of said receptacle portion presentedtransversely of said body, a valve member being located downwardly ofsaid outlet, an elongate spring passing through said valve member in adirection generally transversely of said body for urging said valvemember into closed relationship with respect to said opening, andcontrol means for overcoming said elongate spring comprising an actuatorslideably mounted in said body having one end engaged to said spring andthe other end normally presented outwardly of said body to allow forvalve opening operation.

2. A liquid dispenser as defined in claim 1 and further characterized bysaid actuator having a lower narrow portion and an upper portion ofincreased diameter, and means for limiting the slideable movement ofsaid actuator.

3. A liquid dispenser as defined in claim 1 and further characterized bymeans defining a socket formed within said body adjacent said receptacleportion, said actuator being slideably disposed Within said socket, andmeans for limiting the extent of slideability of said actuator withinsaid socket.

4. A liquid dispenser as defined in claim 1 and further characterized bymeans defining a socket formed within said body adjacent said receptacleportion, said actuator being slidea'bly received within said socket, aretainer pin mounted transversely in said body extending through saidsocket, said actuator having a recess, with upper and lower edges, saidretainer pin being disposed within said recess for being engageable withsaid edges for limiting relative axial movement of said actuator withinsaid socket.

5. A liquid dispenser comprising a body having a top wall and a bottomwall with an intervening sidewall, said body having a receptacle portionopening through said top wall, there being a liquid outlet in the lowerend of said receptacle portion, said body having a chamber downwardly ofsaid receptacle portion and in communication therewith through saiddischarge outlet, a closure having a discharge opening received withinsaid chamber spacedly from said receptacle outlet, a valve memberdisposed in said chamber in normal occluding relationship with saidoutlet, said leaf spring engaged in one end portion within said closureand having an intermediate portion engaged to said valve member fornormally urging same into occluding relationship with said receptacle 56 outlet, means defining a socket formed within said body tor andconnecting rod so as to control the movement of sidewall and opening atits upper end through said top said valve member. wall, means defining apassage connecting the lower end of said socket with said chamber, anactuator slideably References Cited disposed within said socket, aconnecting rod being se- 5 UNITED STATES PATENTS cured to said actuator,the lower end portions of said rod being connected to the end portion ofsaid leaf spring re- 1948227 2/1934 Rechten ZZZ-5 11 mote from itsengagement to said closure whereby when 2255879 9/1941 f T 222 518 Xsaid actuator is operated said connecting rod urges said 2753O87 7/1956D.Antomo 222 5I0 X leaf spring downwardly for moving said valve member10 3344964 10/1967 Dlamond 2225 11 from occludin relationship with saidreceptacle outlet, and means for limiting the slidea'ble travel of saidactua- STANLEY TOLLBERG Pumary Examiner

